When I saw this book up for grabs on Netgalley, I was intrigued. I had read it was being turned into an FX series. Interesting. It deals with a long forgotten old mystery. Double interesting.
I found the main characters engaging and was happy to see that along with a tv series I'll be sure to catch, there's already been a second book announced for a hopefully long book series.
Thanks, Netgalley

I wonderful story that intertwines the complicated workings of race relations with an edge of your seat mystery. Writing is super captivating and the story feels very original. Author has done a wonderful job of creating a real sense of place as well as developing full characters. Most importantly, the end is very satisfying.

Synopsis/blurb....

Southern fables usually go the other way around. A white woman is killed or harmed in some way, real or imagined, and then, like the moon follows the sun, a black man ends up dead.

But when it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules - a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger working the backwoods towns of Highway 59, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about his home state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home.

So when allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he is drawn to a case in the small town of Lark, where two dead bodies washed up in the bayou. First a black lawyer from Chicago and then, three days later, a local white woman, and it's stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes - and save himself in the process - before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.
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My take....

An interesting and entertaining read and my first taste of Attica Locke's work.

Two deaths in Lark, East Texas, one black, one white and Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger wants to investigate. Even though he's in a bit of trouble with his bosses, an investigation is what we get.

Racial undertones, a small divided community, a hostile welcome from both sides, a drink problem, a suspension, an earlier incident, marital difficulties - more than one, family histories - more than one, job insecurity, infidelity, power, privilege, standing, politics, perceptions, white supremacists - the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, interviews, reluctance, forced cooperation, local law enforcement, violence, drugs, previous deaths, motive, secrets, stored resentments, a lot more besides and eventually answers.

I quite liked the book overall. The initial set-up of the crimes kind of leads you to believe that there is a rather simple motive and solution to the crimes, which inevitably then has you feeling the opposite is the truth. All is revealed at the end and one of the characters who is a little bit hinky throughout is part of the denouement. There's nothing I could quite put my finger on about him, other than he was a bit off.

I liked the setting, which with it's race divisions offers plenty of scope for drama. I'm not too sure if I enjoyed the main character's company or not. Darren Mathews is flawed - inevitably. He's rather too fond of the drink which effects his judgement and spills over into his working life. He's committed to his work and has a thirst (not only for booze) but justice. His family history relating to his uncles and his upbringing are important to him and have helped mould him. His mother is the wild card. His wife is tired, impatient and not too understanding.

The investigation seemed to be a little too personal for him, there's a lack of objectivity on display and what was he thinking allowing one of the victim's wife to get so close both to him personally and to his enquiries. That said it's all part of the outsider element trying to penetrate a small community.

Post-investigation, Locke serves up another twist, which I kind of feel is going to feature at some point in a future book further down the line. (The second Highway book featuring Darren Mathews - Heaven, My Home drops later this year.) It was a twist I could have done without TBH. I'm not especially a fan of this kind of snare/writer tactic to keep a reader hooked. If anything it makes me dig my heels in and switch off.

On balance, I found a lot more to like and enjoy than grumble about. I enjoyed the writing, the plot worked, the characters had substance and flesh and were more than stereotypes. I guess I'll read the next in the series if I cross paths with it, as I like the blurb I've seen. I don't think I'd be too bothered about back-tracking on the author's previous books.

4 from 5

Read in April, 2019
Published - 2017
Page count - 249
Source - Net Galley, courtesy of publisher Mulholland Books
Format - ePub read on laptop.

https://col2910.blogspot.com/2019/04/attica-locke-bluebird-bluebird-highway.html

Locke does an incredible job of transporting the reader to the Deep South - where racial division and violence run rampant. This novel follows the story of a Texas Ranger who becomes involved in the double homicide investigation of a black man from Chicago and a local, white girl whose bodies both wash up in the same place on the bayou. Locke's main character, Darren, is a black man who faces major resistance while trying to solve the case. He's an admirable character who feels compelled to find justice for the victim (who could just as well have been him). Locke creates a suspenseful, dangerous world for her characters, but the action does feel a little slow to build. Anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller might find this boring, but readers who appreciate a fully-realized and inhabitable setting will enjoy Locke's work.

Rating: 5 stars

‘Bluebird, Bluebird’ is a wonderful Literary Thriller written by Attica Locke. Even though Literary Thriller may not be a recognized book genre, it’s an apt designation for THIS book. Locke has written a mystery which also contains lots of food for thought as to how racism, in Texas at least, hasn't appreciably improved for African Americans in the recent decades. Even though we’ve had a black President, the deck of law-enforcement, for the most part, is still stacked against the black residents in this story. It’s a thought provoking book about the tight-rope being walked by black US citizens in order to stay out the penal system, and out of the sightlines of hate groups. It’s also an entertaining mystery.

This is the first book Locke’s, ‘Highway 59’ series. It takes place along Highway 59 in rural East Texas. The body of a black lawyer from Chicago washes up from the bayou. He obviously didn’t die from natural causes. Darren Mathews is a black Texas Ranger who is on the verge of being suspended and perhaps booted off the force. He is called in unofficially, by a long-time friend of his, to investigate the murder. As Mathew’s arrives in the town of Lark, a second body washes up. This time the victim is a local white woman. The plot quickens and Mathews finds himself trying to protect the widow of the black victim from cultural forces she doesn’t understand, like the Aryan Brotherhood, and solve the mystery of the deaths.

Mathews was raised by two uncles. One was a renowned Texas Ranger, and one was an attorney.
“For William, the Ranger, the law would save us by PROTECTING us – by prosecuting crimes against us as zealously as crimes against whites. No, Clayton the defense lawyer, said, the law was a lie black folks needed protection FROM – a set of rules that were written against us from the first ink was set to parchment.”

This debate pulled Darren to and fro from as early as he could remember. As a white woman, I have no frame of reference for his experience. However, I felt that the book helped me better understand Darren’s conundrum. Sadly, we see it playing out in the news almost daily now. Don’t let my focus on this aspect of the book lead you to think this is JUST a compelling story about race relations. This element is the pivot on which the scenes turn, but this book is also a suspenseful fast-paced mystery. Now that is a feat worthy of admiration. In fact it was admired so much, it won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2018.

The next book in the series, ‘Heaven, My Home’ is tentatively scheduled to be released in September, 2019. You can bet that I’ll try to get my hands on the next installment as soon as I can.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Mulholland Books; and the author, Attica Locke; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

FBluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke is part of her Hwy 59 series featuring Darren Mathews - a TX ranger who just happens to be black. The rangers code requires an oath which states you are a ranger first disregarding race, marital status, gender is second. Darren is faithful to the oath while skirting the limits when he feels an injustice is once again being perpetrated in an atmosphere and environment that has long been stacked against POC.

Two murders have been committed in a tiny town called Lark. One a black man from Chicago about 35 who seemed to be passing through, the second a local white girl, age 20. While police shrugged off the former, the latter gets police attention. It seems they must be linked and Matthews goes to investigate while on suspension on a tip from a friend in the FBI.

One thing that really struck me were the way so much of the book was about opposites- Geneva’s vs Wally’s Ice House, a white female murder victim vs a black male victim. Matthews uncles who raided him- both wanting him to follow in their own footsteps- one a defense attorney the other the first black Texas Ranger.

The struggle between the Ranger sworn to uphold the law and the man who wants to see justice for his people are often at odds and the author does a masterful job without being lecturing or preaching.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author’s works which have long been on my TBR pile.

Thank you #netgalley #atticalocke # mullhollandbooks for the arc and the opportunity to share this great read with others.

Bluebird Bluebird is a murder mystery involving relevant topics to society today. There is an element of race. It's also about family and hope. The characters are likeable and dynamic. The plot is engaging and complex. A good read overall for mystery fans. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Bluebird Bluebird is such a powerful story filled with family drama, racial tension, and a healthy dose of mystery.. I thought it was perfectly paced and I loved the author's writing style. I hear it's being turned into a TV show- I think Darren Matthews would be great on the screen. Looking forward to Attica Locke's next book!

A brilliant novel of race relations, family ties, and the brotherhood of both the Texas rangers and the Aryan nation, this beautifully rendered crime in Shelby County fulfills Attica Locke' s promise as a writer to watch.

I absolutely love this book. I could not put it down for two days. Great characters, great plot. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I would highly recommend this book to friends and family . Looking forward to this authors next book

Bluebird, Bluebird by author Attica Locke is a genuinely great book! I read this awhile back and was excited to read again. Book has heart 💜
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Bluebird, Bluebird in exchange for an honest review.

You have a double murder. It might be race-related, it might not...that how much Ms. Locke kept me guessing. But race is definitely a factor throughout Bluebird, Bluebird.

I did like Darren. A true gentleman and cop BUT he was a Texan before all of that. I struggled while reading his character. Ms. Locke's proves that being educated and a professional means nothing if your a Black man especially in the Southern states of America. I wished he would have put his boot heavy in folks assess just cause.

There is more to Bluebird, Bluebird than murder and race. Ms. Locke ties it all together perfectly in a nice messy package and I was here for it all.

I highly recommend this one!highly!

Attica Locke’s "Bluebird, Bluebir"d blends page-turning action and suspense with an unblinking look at race, poverty and violence in rural America.

I don’t know much about East Texas (outside of Joe R. Lansdale’s books) but Locke makes the area come alive, character by character, in the complicated bonds they have to their family land. And that’s where the central conflict - the spiritual and philosophical conflict, that which lies at the root of the small town murders - becomes such a compelling one. Long-simmering resentments and feuds - personal, racial, familial - drive people in ways they can’t always control or predict. In that way, Locke’s novel is a study of the darker impulses in human nature. But in Darren Mathews, a complicated and conflicted lawman himself, Locke also shows some of humanity’s more admirable traits: dedication to justice, cleverness, an honor that sometimes grows thin but is never fully worn down, and the sort of optimism that says one man can undoubtedly make a difference in this world.

There’s music in the book - the blues, naturally - and there’s music in Locke’s writing, truth delivered in economical language, with a poetry that makes the pine trees and the bayou and the hard living burst with life.

"Bluebird, Bluebird" is a mystery, but it’s a novel that can’t be confined by the genre. Ultimately, it's a portrait of a country that’s trying, still, in 2017, to live up to its promise, held back by its deepest and most long-lasting flaws, even as it makes those small strides in the direction of freedom and justice.

This book was not as good as I expected it to be. But that being said it was well written and believable.

Boy, this started slow. I seriously considered giving up, because it wasn't getting anywhere. But I wanted to know who killed the two people in the main mystery plot, so I stuck with it.

It ended up being REALLY really good. Attica Locke is on to something, and I hope we see more of her Texas Ranger in the future. I also think I want to go back to some of Locke's earlier books, especially The Cutting Season.

This book is incredible! It's a page-turner that is also politically relevant. It will probably make you stop and think, but not in a way that you stop enjoying the mystery. I don't think I've read a mystery that made me feel outrage so keenly.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
This is the 2nd book I've read by Attica Locke. "The Cutting Season" is also a good boook.
I had a hard time putting this book down and was moved by the racial problems that are still a part of our country. The only part I didn't like was the ending; hopefully, there will be a sequel or a series.

First of all, Attica Locke is a wonderful writer. She painted a very clear image of the world of Lark, Texas that I felt like I had driven through it before.

I was so excited to get a galley copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much Mulholland Books) after seeing all of the hype on Book Riot. Maybe this just isn't my genre but I didn't get as sucked into the story as I wanted to. I read a lot of reviews that talked about the impressive ending, but I had an inkling of what was coming before it was revealed.

I would still recommend fans of Cop-centered mysteries to pick up a copy of Bluebird Bluebird. It just wasn't the type of book that was specifically for me.

See note to publisher. I considered the book for review and declined to review it.